Nottingham City Educational Psychology Service
We know there will be a lot of uncertainty around the current COVID-19 outbreak, particularly given that the situation is constantly developing and so much of our normal everyday life has changed.
It is normal to feel worried, stressed and anxious when we are faced with uncertain situations, but the sooner we acknowledge and learn to take care of our mental health, the healthier and better equipped we’ll be to cope with the situation we're having to face. This document provides some information to support you in doing this.
Taking care of your wellbeing
In order to help your children to feel safe and manage any of their anxieties, it is really important that you also take care of your own wellbeing. Whether it’s ensuring you have some time to relax or asking others for help when you need it, you must take care of yourself. The following organisations offer support:
Taking care of your children's wellbeing
During this difficult time, it is important that we help our children recognise and talk about the anxieties they may be having about the current situation. This will help them manage and hopefully reduce their feelings of anxiety. This can be done by creating a safe space in which our children feel they can talk about any worries and ask questions, supporting communication with family and friends, and setting up positive routines, including time for play and exercise. The links below offer further advice and support.
Talking to children about Coronavirus
It’s important that we talk to our children about what is happening, answering any questions they may have and addressing any ‘untruths’ they have heard. When doing this you should try to use language (and, if it would be helpful, pictures) that your children can understand. The buttons below provide some useful tools and tips to support you in talking about the coronavirus with your children.
Setting up positive routines for the day
A positive routine is one that works for you and your family. You know your children best and should do what you think works for them. Please don’t worry if you can’t keep the routine up and please don’t keep trying to put a routine in place if it’s becoming stressful. Also, remember to keep a balance between active (if possible outdoor) activities, nice family activities (e.g. board games), and learning activities.
Some ideas for learning activities:
If you feel you would benefit from talking to an Educational Psychologist via phone consultation during this difficult time, you can speak to your school and request to be contacted. Contact us: eps.admin@nottinghamcity.gov.uk